The question whether “Warays are liars” should be rejected by the very people it unfairly stereotypes.
It is a lazy insult against an entire people whose history is filled with courage, resilience, and sacrifice.
But if there is one stereotype that deserves greater scrutiny today, it is not about lying, it is about those who have mastered the art of stealing public trust.
It is about a family accused of being the most corrupt in the country and in history.
Not all Warays are liars. But one stands out as accused of being the biggest liar in hundreds of billions of pesos.
Some Warays have become symbols of political excess, patronage, and the unchecked accumulation of power.
The ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has exposed more than competing legal arguments.
It has revealed the dangerous tendency of political families to weaponize institutions against opponents while conveniently ignoring allegations closer to home.
The loud calls for accountability ring hollow when those making them remain silent on longstanding questions surrounding their own allies and political networks.
For years, the Marcos administration has promised transparency and good governance..
Yet public frustration continues to grow over soaring prices, questionable government spending, and allegations of corruption that rarely receive the same urgency now being directed at the Vice President.
In Eastern Visayas, the Romualdez political dynasty remains among the country's most influential, but influence must never be mistaken for immunity from public scrutiny.
Justice cannot be selective.
Accountability cannot depend on political convenience.
If the standard is honesty in public office, then it must apply equally from the opposition to the administration, from Mindanao to Malacañang, from local officials to the nation's most powerful families.
Warays should never be judged by a stereotype that stemmed from the actions of few.
They should instead demand that those who claim to represent them uphold the values of integrity, humility, and public service.
The issue was never whether Warays are liars.
The greater question is whether Filipinos will continue to tolerate leaders, Waray or otherwise, who betray the public's trust through corruption, political entitlement, and selective justice.
A surname, a region, or a political alliance should never become a shield against accountability.
In the end, the concern is whether the community is willing to stand up to the biggest liar and bring him to justice.
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